Honolulu mayor - Nonpartisan

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM In order to win re-election outright on Sept. 20, incumbent Mayor Mufi Hannemann needs 50 percent of votes cast plus one. His strongest opposition stands to come from veteran City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi and engineering professor Panos Prevedouros.

What appeared to be clear sailing for Mufi Hannemann has become choppy over a rail system for Oahu

Candidates have heard Mufi Hannemann’s challenge, providing competition in what had been regarded as an easy election year for the mayor.

For months, state and city politicians had been whispering about Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi running for mayor, so it was little surprise for many when she entered the race at the filing deadline.

The biggest and most visible issue that will likely shape the debate for the nonpartisan mayor’s race will be Hannemann’s proposed $4 billion rail transit system connecting Kapolei to Ala Moana. The issue has prompted the anti-rail community to push University of Hawaii-Manoa engineering professor Panos Prevedouros to run for mayor.

Prevedouros and Kobayashi are attempting to prevent Hannemann from being named the outright winner in the primary election, which requires receiving 50 percent of the votes cast plus one.

Hannemann, 54, who is determined to break ground on the system late next year, has been aggressively campaigning already with television commercials, a sophisticated Web site and weekly sign-waving sessions.

Kobayashi, 71, who has favored a “rubber-tire bus on concrete system” as opposed to Hannemann’s proposed “steel wheel on steel rail system,” said she would open the bidding process to all technologies.

Prevedouros, considered a local traffic expert, said he would scrap Hannemann’s plan and do more extensive studies on HOT lanes, or designated car-pool lanes.

Hannemann is running his campaign as “a leader who delivers,” using his record as mayor, though he has made no promises to fulfill another four years if re-elected.

Kobayashi paints herself as the grass-roots campaigner who wants to give the people a voice after Hannemann’s four years in office. Prevedouros, a first-time candidate, presents himself as the agent for change with a slogan of “Let’s Fix Oahu!”

Other mayoral candidates include Daniel Cunningham, Cameron Datanagan, Donavon Kambel, J. Maly, Paul Manner and George Nitta Jr.